EVERYTHING (ALMOST) YOU WANTED TO KNOW (WHO WANTS TO KNOW ABOUT THIS STUFF?), BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK.
I am totally html inept, but will do my best to keep this blog supplied with plenty of syntax junk. The main aim here is to help my students (my future colleagues, in fact) come to grips with the syntax of English, even if they can't stand it.

Friday, August 26, 2005

NOUN CLAUSE

As a clause must have a verb, noun clauses are a group of words with a verb that represent, or can be substituted by, a simple noun (for example, this/these). That is, the clause has the function of a noun. Noun clauses (nominal clauses) can be finite or non-finite and are always dependent clauses (subordinate).

e.g. THAT THE SUPERBOWL IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT EVENTS IN AMERICAN SPORTS CANNOT BE DISPUTED. - "That the Superbowl is one of the most important events in American sports" is the subject. As it contains a verb (is), it is a clause, however, it is not the main clause.- This group of words represents a noun. It can be substituted with the noun "this" (this cannot be disputed). - As the noun clause has a subject (the Superbowl) and the verb is conjugated (is), it is classified as a finite noun clause.- As this noun clause makes no sense by itself, it is dependent (subordinate).

e.g. TO UNDERSTAND DEMOCRACY REQUIRES IN-DEPTH STUDY OF ALL POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES. - "To understand democracy" is the subject. As it contains a verb (to understand), it is a clause, however, it is not the main clause. - This group of words represents a noun. It can be substituted with the noun "this" (this requires in-depth study of all political ideologies). - As the noun clause has no subject and the verb is not conjugated (to understand - infinitive), it is classified as a non-finite noun clause reduced by the infinitive.

e.g. HIGH TAXES MAKE SELLING PROPERTY DIFFICULT AT THIS MOMENT. - "selling property" is a direct object. As it contains a verb (selling), it is a clause, however, it is not the main clause.- This group of words represents a noun. It can be substituted with the noun "this" (High taxes make this difficult at this moment).- As the noun clause has no subject and the verb is not conjugated (selling - gerund), it is classified as a non-finite noun clause reduced by the gerund.

e.g. WHAT I FOUND MOST DELIGHTFUL AT THE VINEYARDS WAS EXPERIMENTING THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF WINE. - "experimenting the different types of wine" is the subject complement. As it has a verb (experimenting), it is a clause, however, it is not the main clause.- This group of words represents a noun. It can be substituted with the noun "this" (What I found most delightful at the vineyards was this).- As the noun clause has no subject and the verb is not conjugated (experimenting - gerund), it is classified as a non-finite noun clause reduced by the gerund.

e.g. THEY SWORE TO SETTLE THE SCORE. THEY SWORE (THAT) THEY WOULD SETTLE THE SCORE.- In the first example, "to settle the score" is the direct object. As it contains a verb (to settle), it is a clause, however, it is not the main clause.- This group of words represents a noun. It can be substituted with the noun "this" (They swore this).- As the noun clause has no subject and the verb is not conjugated (to settle - infinitive), it is classified as a non-finite noun clause reduced by the infinitive.- In the second example, "(that) they would settle the score" is the direct object (finite noun clause).